The hypothalamus is a small but critical region of the brain located at the base of the brain, just above the brainstem. It is involved in many important physiological functions, including the regulation of energy balance, body temperature, circadian rhythms, and the control of the autonomic nervous system.

One of the primary roles of the hypothalamus is to regulate feeding behavior and maintain energy balance. The hypothalamus integrates multiple internal and external cues to regulate hunger and satiety, and it controls the release of hormones that influence metabolism, such as insulin and leptin.

The connectivity of hypothalamic feeding circuits is not hard-wired, but show predictable changes in response to circulating levels of metabolic hormones. When these dynamic synaptic changes were correlated to behavioral effects of leptin, it became clear that synaptic remodeling evoked by leptin precedes changes in the behavior of animals. These suggested that synaptic plasticity of hypothalamic circuits governed by peripheral metabolic signals is a pre-requisite to proper behavioral and autonomic adaptations to the changing peripheral milieu. Many studies, including our own, elaborated on the extent and variety of dynamic synaptic changes in the hypothalamus and beyond in relation to metabolic regulation,

Understanding the complex neural circuits and molecular mechanisms that underlie hypothalamic regulation of feeding is essential for developing effective treatments for obesity and other feeding disorders.

More information:

• https://www.achucarro.org/laboratory/glia-neuron-interactions-in-the-control-of-hunger/